Electrical connection of conductor leads and method of making same

ABSTRACT

In a preferred form, this disclosure relates to an electrical connection of conductor leads and to a method of making the connection. The electrical connection comprises an elongated planar metal carrier strip having a plurality of crimping flanges integrally connected by webs to one side thereof and with the crimping flanges being crimped to one end of an electrical lead and with the webs being bent so that the plane of the carrier strip extends transversely of the axes of the one ends of the leads, an insulator means made from an elastic insulating material including first and second insulator bodies disposed side-by-side and molded around different ones of the ends of the leads and the adjacent carrier strip portion and having an integral hinge means molded about an intermediate portion of the carrier strip, the first and second insulator bodies being relatively movable by bending the hinge means and the intermediate portion of the carrier strip of the hinge means from the side-by-side position to a second position in which adjacent surfaces are juxtaposed whereby the leads are oriented in desired directions, and a cooperable latching means on the first and second insulator bodies to latch the insulator bodies in their second position when moved thereto.

United States Patent [191 Wooiter et al.

[4 Nov. 25, 1975 ELECTRICAL CONNECTION OF CONDUCTOR LEADS AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME [75] Inventors: Robert C. Woofter, Cortland;

Warren Pearce, Jr., Warren, both of Ohio [73] Assignee: General Motors Corporation,

Detroit, Mich.

[22] Filed: Oct. 9, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 513,319

[52] US. Cl 174/72 R; 29/628; 174/72 A; 174/88 R [51] Int. Cl. I-IOIR 5/10; HOlR 43/00 {58] Field of Search... 174/71 R, 72 R, 72 A, 84 R, 174/84 C, 87, 88 R; 29/628, 630 F [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,307,690 H1943 Lee 174/72 R X Primary Examiner-Laramie E Askin Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William A. Schuetz [57] ABSTRACT In a preferred form, this disclosure relates to an electrical connection of conductor leads and to a method of making the connection, The electrical connection comprises an elongated planar metal carrier strip having a plurality of crimping flanges integrally connected by webs to one side thereof and with the crimping flanges being crimped to one end of an electrical lead and with the webs being bent so that the plane of the carrier strip extends transversely of the axes of the one ends of the leads, an insulator means made from an elastic insulating material including first and second insulator bodies disposed sideby-side and molded around different ones of the ends of the leads and the adjacent carrier strip portion and having an integral hinge means molded about an intermediate portion of the carrier strip, the first and second insulator bodies being relatively movable by bending the hinge means and the intermediate portion of the carrier strip of the hinge means from the sideby-side position to a second position in which adjacent surfaces are juxtaposed whereby the leads are oriented in desired directions, and a cooperable latching means on the first and second insulator bodies to latch the insulator bodies in their second position when moved thereto 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 25, 1975 ELECTRICAL CONNECTION OF CONDUCTOR LEADS AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME The present invention relates to an electrical connection of conductor leads and to a method of connecting or splicing electrical leads together.

The present invention provides a new and improved electrical connection of conductor leads and a method of connecting electrical leads together which enable the connecting and connection forming operations to be carried out on automated assembly apparatus.

Accordingly, an important object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved electrical connection of electrical leads in which a plurality of electrical leads are crimped to crimping flanges integrally connected via webs to a metallic, bendable carrier strip, insulator bodies are molded around one end of different ones of the electrical leads and adjacent portions of the carrier strip with the connector bodies being connected via an integral hinge means molded around an intermediate portion of the carrier strip, and wherein the insulator bodies thereafter are bent about their hinge means and intermediate portion of the carrier strip from a first position in which they are disposed sideby-side to a second position in which adjacent end surfaces are juxtaposed whereby the leads will be oriented in the desired directions and then latched together.

The more specific object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved electrical connection of conductor leads in which the connection comprises an elongated planar bendable metal carrier strip having a plurality of crimping flanges integrally connected to one side thereof at spaced longitudinal locations via webs and with the carrier strip being bent so as to extend transversely of the axis of the electrical leads, insulator means made from elastic insulating material comprising a first insulator body molded around the end of at least one lead and adjacent carrier strip portion, a second insulator body molded around the one ends of the other remaining leads and adjacent carrier strip portion and a hinge means molded around an intermediate portion of the carrier strip and integral with the first and second insulator bodies, and wherein the first and second insulator bodies are separated by the hinge means and lie side-by-side in substantially the same plane when molded around the ends of the leads and adjacent carrier strip portions, and in which the first and second insulator bodies are relatively movable by bending the hinge means and intermediate portion of the carrier strip portion from their side-by-sie position to a second position in which adjacent end surfaces are juxtaposed whereby the leads are oriented in the desired direction, and wherein the insulator bodies include cooperable latching means to latch the insulator bodies in their second position when moved thereto.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved electrical connection, as defined in the next preceding object, and in which the cooperable latching means includes an elastic tab on one of the insulator bodies and with the tab having an aperture of a given transverse dimension when in its free state position, and wherein the other insulator body has an elastic projection having a radially outwardly extending portion of a transverse dimension greater than the given transverse dimension of the aperture in the tab when in its free state position, and in which the insulator bodies are latched together in their second position 2 by force fitting the elastic tab over the radially outwardly extending portion of the projection on the second insulator body,

A further object ofthe present invention is to provide a new and improved method of connecting electrical leads together which includes the steps of providing an elongated planar bendable metal carrier strip having a plurality of crimping flanges integrally connected via webs to one side of the carrier strip at spaced longitudinal locations therealong, crimping each of the flanges to one end of the electrical lead whereby the electrical leads are electrically connected to each other via the carrier strip, bending the webs so that the plane of the carrier strip extends transversely to the axes of the one ends of the electrical leads, molding an insulator means made from elastic insulating material which includes a first insulator body molded around the end of at least one lead and adjacent carrier strip portion, a second insulator body being molded around the one ends of the other remaining leads and adjacent carrier strip portion and a hinge means molded around an intermediate portion of the carrier strip and integral with the first and second insulator bodies so that the first and second insulator bodies are separated by the hinge means and lie side-by-side in substantially the same plane when molded and with the first and second insulator bodies having cooperable latching means, rela tively moving the first and second insulator bodies by bending the hinge means and the intermediate portion of the carrier strip from their side-by-side position to a second position in which adjacent end surfaces are juxtaposed so that the leads are oriented in the desired direction and latching the cooperable latching means together to hold the first and second insulator bodies in their second position.

The present invention further resides in various novel constructions and arrangements of parts, and further objects, novel characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates and from the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiments thereof made with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which similar reference numerals or characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a metal carrier strip with integral crimping flanges which forms part of the electrical connection of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows the crimping flanges crimped onto the ends of electrical leads and the carrier strip bent so as to be disposed in a plane extending transversely of the electrical leads;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the electrical connection of the present invention and showing insulator bodies molded around ends of the electrical leads and the carrier strip and showing the position it would have coming out of the molding operation;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken approximately along lines 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan of the electrical connection shown in FIG. 3 but showing the same in a different position.

The present invention provides a new and improved electrical connection and a method of connecting electrical leads together. The electrical connection broadly comprises an elongated metal carrier strip 10 having a plurality of crimping flanges l2 integrally connected via webs 14 to one side of the carrier strip 10 at spaced longitudinal locations therealong, as shown in FIG. 1; electrical leads L connected to the carrier strip 10 by crimping the crimping flanges I2 around the ends of the electrical leads L; insulating means 20 made from an elastic insulating material and including a first insulator body 22 molded around the ends ofa pair ofleads L and adjacent carrier strip portion 100, a second insu lator body 24 molded around the ends of the other remaining leads L and adjacent carrier strip portion 10b and a hinge means 26 molded about an intermediate portion 100 of the carrier strip 10; and cooperable latching means 30 and 32 on the insulator bodies 22 and 24. The insulator bodies 22 and 24 when molded around the ends of the leads L and adjacent carrier strip portions, as shown in FIG. 3, are relatively movable about the hinge means 26 and intermediate carrier strip portion 100 from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 5 and latched together by the cooperable latching means 30 and 32 so as to orient the various leads in the proper direction.

As shown in FIG. I, the metal carrier strip comprises an elongated, planar thin bendable metal carrier strip having a relatively small width. The metal carrier strip 10 can be made of any material which has good electrically conducting properties. The metal carrier strip 10, crimping flanges l2 and webs 14 would be blanked out of strip stock and the crimping flanges would be bent upwardly, as shown in FIG. 1, by a suit able punch and die apparatus (not shown), as well known to those skilled in the art. Thereafter, the strip stock would be fed to a second suitable punch and die apparatus (not shown) where the crimping flanges 12 would be crimped around the bare ends 36 of metal leads L to securely connect the ends 36 of the leads L to the carrier strip 10, and the carrier strip about the webs 14 would be bent downwardly so that the plane of the carrier strip 10 would extend normal to or trans versely of the longitudinal axes of the ends 36 of the leads L. Also during this operation the carrier strip 10 would be cut to length depending on the number of leads that are to be connected together. When the leads L are crimped onto the carrier strip 10 via the crimping flanges 12, the leads L are electrically connected to one another.

After the leads L are crimped onto the carrier strip portion 10, as shown in FIG. 2, this subassembly is then moved into a suitable molding apparatus (not shown) wherein the insulating means is molded thereon. The insulating means 20 is made from a suitable elastic or resilient insulating material, such as a suitable rubber compound. and includes the first and second insulator bodies 22 and 24. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the insulator body 22 is molded around the ends of two of the leads L and the adjacent portion 10a of the carrier strip 10. The insulator body 24 is molded around the ends of the two remaining leads L and the adjacent portion 10b of the carrier strip 10. The insula tor bodies 22 and 24 are separated by an integral hinge means 26 molded around the intermediate portion 100 of carrier strip 10.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the insulator bodies 22 and 24 completely surround the ends 36 of the respective leads L as well as the adjacent portion part of their insulator covers 38 and completely surround the adjacent portions of the carrier strip [0. Thus the bare ends 36 and adjacent end portions of the insulators 38 and 4 adjacent carrier strip portions are completely imbedded within the insulator bodies 22 and 24.

As shown in FIG. 3, the insulator bodies 22 and 24 are molded so as to be located side-by-side in the same plane, but slightly spaced from each other. As shown in FIG. 4, each insulator body 22 and 24 is generally L- shaped as viewed in cross section and includes generally planar upper and lower sides 50 and 52, generally planar side surfaces 54 and 56 and generally planar end surfaces 58 and 60. The end surfaces 60 of the insulator bodies 22 and 24 converge toward each other at 60a so as to define a reduced thickness hinge section 26, and for a reason to be hereinafter more fully described.

After the insulator bodies 22 and 24 have been molded onto the carrier strip 10 and adjacent end por tions of the leads L, the insulator bodies are relatively moved towards each other by bending the same about the hinge means 26 and intermediate carrier strip portion 100 from the position shown in FIG. 3, in which the insulator bodies lie in a side-by-side relationship and in generally the same plane to the position shown in FIG. 5 in which the end surfaces 60 are juxtaposed or lie back-to-back. The reason for the converging portions 60a of the end surfaces 60 is to insure that the two insulator bodies can be bent into a back-to-back relationship and when so bent the portions 60a define an opening 70, as shown in FIG. 5. When the insulator bodies 22 and 24 are moved to the position shown in FIG. 5, the leads L will be oriented in the proper direction.

The insulator bodies 22 and 24 are adapted to be latched together when moved to the second position, as shown in FIG. 5, by the cooperable latching means 30 and 32 on the insulator bodies 22 and 24, respectively. The cooperable latching means 32 comprises a catch member in the form of a resilient tab 72 molded integral with the insulator body 24 at its top side 50 and which projects downwardly and perpendicularly from the end surface 60, as viewed in FIG. 3. The tab 72 is relatively thin and has a central aperture 74 therethrough. The aperture 74 is shown in FIG. 3 to be circular and have a given diameter or transverse dimension when in its normal free state position.

The cooperable latching means 30 comprises a latch member in the form of a projection 75 extending upwardly and normal to the top surface 50 of the insulator body 22, as viewed in FIG. 3. The projection 75 is ofa circular cross section and is conical in shape as viewed in FIG. 4, so that its diameter progressively decreases proceeding from its end integral with the top side 50 of insulator body 22 towards its free end. The projection also includes a headed portion 78 intermediate its ends and which has an outermost minimum external diameter, when in its free state position, which is greater than the diameter ofthe aperture 74 in the catch member 72 when the latter is in its free state position.

When the insulator bodies 22 and 24 are moved from their FIG. 3 position toward their FIG. 5 position, by bending the hinge means 26 and intermediate portion 10c of the carrier strip 10 so that the adjacent end surfaces 60 are back-to-back, the insulator bodies are then moved relative to each other by twisting about the hinge means 26 and intermediate portion of the carrier strip 10c toward and from the plane of the drawings, as viewed in FIG. 5, to position the catch member 72 over the free end of the latch member 75. When this occurs, the insulator bodies 22 and 24 are twisted in the reverse direction to cause the catch member 72 to be pushed down onto and over the portion 78 of the projection 75 on the insulator body 22. As the catch member 72 engages the headed portion 78 of the projection 75, the catch member 72 will stretch to increase the diameter of the aperture 74 and the headed portion 78 will tend to contract to decrease its outermost external diameter until the catch member 72 clears the headed portion 78 whereupon the catch member 72 will return toward its normal free state position and the headed member will return towards its normal free state position to lock the catch member 72 beneath the headed portion 78 of the projection 75.

The bending of the insulator bodies 22 and 24 about the hinge means 26 and the intermediate portion of the carrier strip and the twisting movements necessary to latch the catch member 72 beneath the headed portion 78 of the latch member 75 can either be carried out by hand or by an automated assembly apparatus. It will, of course, be understood that the insulator body 22 could be molded around just one of the leads and with the insulator body 24 being molded around the remaining leads to form a connection in the manner described above. Moreover, even though in the preferred embodiment, the end surfaces 60 are located in the same parallel plane after the molding operations, as shown in FIG. 3, it will, of course, be understood that the angular relationship between the end surfaces 60 could be varied, such as by being molded to define an obtuse included angle therebetween that is less that 180 so that when the insulator bodies are moved to position the end surfaces 60 back-to-back, the leads L can be oriented in any desired direction.

Although the novel electrical connection of electrical leads L of the present invention could be used in various types of applications, it is especially suitable for use in automotive wiring harnesses wherein a connection or splice is needed into the primary wiring harness to connect optional equipment. For example, one of the electrical leads could be connected via connectors to a power source and the other electrical leads connected via connectors to individual lights in the automobile where extra lights are provided as optional equipment.

From the foregoing, it should be apparent that the novel electrical connection and the method of connecting electrical leads together is relatively simple and permits the use of of automated assembly equipment.

Although the illustrated embodiment hereof has been described in great detail, it should be apparent that certain modifications, changes, and adaptations may be made in the illustrated embodiment, and that it is intended to cover all such modifications, changes and adaptations which come within the spirit of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

l. An electrical connection of electrical leads comprising:

an elongated, planar bendable metal carrier strip;

a plurality of crimping flanges integrally connected via webs to one side of the carrier strip at spaced longitudinal locations therealong;

each of said crimping flanges being crimped to one end of an electrical lead whereby said electrical leads are electrically connected to each other via said carrier strip;

said webs being bent so that the plane of the carrier strip extends transversely of the axes of said one ends of said leads:

insulator means made from an elastic insulating material comprising a first insulator body molded around the end of at least one lead and adjacent carrier strip portion and a second insulator body molded around the one ends of the other remaining leads and adjacent carrier strip portion and a hinge means molded about an intermediate portion of the carrier strip and integral with the first and second insulator bodies,

said first and second insulator bodies being separated by said hinge means and lying side-by-side in substantially the same plane when molded,

said first and second insulator bodies having side surfaces adjacent said hinge means,

said first and second insulator bodies being relatively movable by bending the hinge means and the intermediate portion of the carrier strip at the hinge means from their side-by-side position to a second position in which said side surfaces are juxtaposed whereby the leads are oriented in the desired directions,

and cooperable latching means on said first and second insulator bodies to latch the insulator bodies in their second position when moved thereto.

2. An electrical connection of electrical leads comprising:

an elongated, planar bendable metal carrier strip;

a plurality of crimping flanges integrally connected via webs to one side of the carrier strip at spaced longitudinal locations therealong;

each of said crimping flanges being crimped to one end of an electrical lead whereby said electrical leads are electrically connected to each other via said carrier strip;

said webs being bent so that the plane of the carrier strip extends substantially normal to the axes of said one ends of said leads;

insulator means made from an elastic insulating material comprising a first insulator body molded around the end of at least one lead and adjacent carrier strip portion and a second insulator body molded around the one ends of the other remaining leads and adjacent carrier strip portion and a hinge means molded about an intermediate portion of the carrier strip and integral with the first and second insulator bodies,

said first and second insulator bodies being separted by said hinge means and lying side-by-side in the same plane when molded,

said first and second insulator bodies having generally planar side surfaces adjacent said hinge means,

said first and second insulator bodies being relatively movable by bending the hinge means and the intermediate portion of the carrier strip at the hinge means from their side-by-side position to a second position in which said side surfaces are juxtaposed whereby the leads are oriented in the desired direction,

and cooperable latching means on said first and second insulator bodies to latch the insulator bodies in their second position when moved thereto, said cooperable Iatching means comprising an elastic tab on one of said bodies and with the tab having an aperture therethrough of a given transverse dimen sion when in its free state and an elastic projection on the other of said insulator bodies and with the projection having a radially outwardly extending portion of a transverse dimension greater than the given transverse dimension of the aperture in the tab when in its free state position,

said projection being latchable to the tab by position ing the projection in the aperture of the tab and forcing the tab over the enlarged portion of the projection,

said enlarged portion of the projection causing said tab to be radially stretched to enlarge the transverse dimension of the aperture as the tab engages the enlarged portion of the projection until the tab clears the enlarged portion of the projection whereby the tab, due to its self-biasing forces, shrinks to decrease its diameter towards its normal free state position and thereby latch the tab beneath the enlarged portion of the projection.

3. An electrical connection of electrical leads comprising:

an elongated, planar bendable metal carrier strip;

a plurality of crimping flanges integrally connected via webs to one side of the carrier strip at spaced longitudinal locations therealong;

each of said crimping flanges being crimped to one end of an electrical lead whereby said electrical leads are electrically connected to each other via said carrier strip;

said webs being bent so that the plane of the carrier strip extends normal to the axes of said one ends of said leads;

insulator means made from a resilient insulating material comprising a first insulator body molded around the end of at least one lead and adjacent carrier strip portion and a second insulator body molded around the one ends of the other remaining leads and adjacent carrier strip portion and a hinge means molded about an intermediate portion of the carrier strip and integral with the first and second insulator bodies.

said first and second insulator bodies being generally rectangular in shape and separated by said hinge means and lying side-by-side in the same plane when molded,

said first and second insulator bodies having generally planar side surfaces adjacent said hinge means,

said first and second insulator bodies being relatively movable by bending the hinge means and the intermediate portion of the carrier strip at the hinge means from their side-by-side position to a second position in which said side surfaces are back-toback whereby the leads are oriented in the desired direction,

and cooperable latching means on said first and second insulator bodies to latch the insulator bodies in their second position when moved thereto, said cooperable latching means comprising a resilient tab on one of said bodies and with the tab having an aperture therethrough of a given diameter when in its free state and a resilient projection on the other of said insulator bodies and with the projection having a radially outwardly extending intermediate por- 8 tion of a diameter greater than the diameter of the aperture in the tab when in its free state position, said projection being latchable to the tab by positioning the projection in the aperture of the tab and forcing the tab over the enlarged intermediate portion of the projection,

said intermediate portion of the projection causing said tab to be radially stretched to enlarge the diameter of the aperture as the tab engages the enlarged intermediate portion of the projection until the tab clears the enlarged portion of the projection whereby the tab, due to its self-biasing forces, radially shrinks to decrease its diameter towards its normal free state position and thereby latch the tab beneath the enlarged portion of the projection.

4. A method of connecting electrical leads together and orienting the leads in desired directions comprising:

providing an elongated carrier strip integrally connected to a plurality of crimping flanges via webs at spaced longitudinal locations along one side edge thereof, simultaneously crimping each of said crimping flanges to one end of an electrical lead and bending the webs so that the carrier strip lies in a plane substantially normal to the axes of the one end of said leads, molding a resilient insulator means around the one end of the leads and crimping flanges of the carrier strip to completely imbed the same within the insulator means and with the molded insulator means comprising a first insulator body surrounding the one end of at least one electrical lead and adjacent carrier strip portion, a second insulator body adjacent to but spaced from the first insulator body and surrounding the one ends of the remaining leads and adjacent carrier strip portion, a hinge means integral with the first and second insulator bodies and surrounding an intermediate carrier strip portion, an integral latch member on one of the insulator bodies and an integral catch member on the other of the insulator bodies, relatively moving the first and second insulator bodies by bending the intermediate carrier strip portion and hinge means until adjacent end surfaces on the first and second insulator bodies are located back-to-back, twisting the intermediate carrier portion and hinge means by relatively moving the insulator bodies toward and from their com mon plane when moved back-to-back to position and to align the catch and latch members and then twisting the insulator bodies about the intermediate portion of the carrier strip and hinge means in the opposite direction to cause the latch member to be latched to the catch member whereby the insulator bodies are latched in their back-to-back position and the leads are oriented in their desired direction. 

1. An electrical connection of electrical leads comprising: an elongated, planar bendable metal carrier strip; a plurality of crimping flanges integrally connected via webs to one side of the carrier strip at spaced longitudinal locations therealong; each of said crimping flanges being crimped to one end of an electrical lead whereby said electrical leads are electrically connected to each other via said carrier strip; said webs being bent so that the plane of the carrier strip extends transversely of the axes of said one ends of said leads: insulator means made from an elastic insulating material comprising a first insulator body molded around the end of at least one lead and adjacent carrier strip portion and a second insulator body molded around the one ends of the other remaining leads and adjacent carrier strip portion and a hinge means molded about an intermediate portion of the carrier strip and integral with the first and second insulator bodies, said first and second insulator bodies being separated by said hinge means and lying side-by-side in substantially the same plane when molded, said first and second insulator bodies having side surfaces adjacent said hinge means, said first and second insulator bodies being relatively movable by bending the hinge means and the intermediate portion of the carrier strip at the hinge means from their side-by-side position to a second position in which said side surfaces are juxtaposed whereby the leads are oriented in the desired directions, and cooperable latching means on said first and second insulator bodies to latch the insulator bodies in their second position when moved thereto.
 2. An electrical connection of electrical leads comprising: an elongated, planar bendable metal carrier strip; a plurality of crimping flanges integrally connected via webs to one side of the carrier strip at spaced longitudinal locations therealong; each of said crimping flanges being crimped to one end of an electrical lead whereby said electrical leads are electrically connected to each other via said carrier strip; said webs being bent so that the plane of the carrier strip extends substantially normal to the axes of said one ends of said leads; insulator means made from an elastic insulating material comprising a first insulator body molded around the end of at least one lead and adjacent carrier strip portion and a second insulator body molded around the one ends of the other remaining leads and adjacent carrier strip portion and a hinge means molded about an intermediate portion of the carrier strip and integral with the first and second insulator bodies, said first and second insulator bodies being separted by said hinge means and lying side-by-side in the same plane when molded, said first and second insulator bodies having generally planar side surfaces adjacent said hinge means, said first and second insulator bodies being relatively movable by bending the hinge means and the intermediate portion of the carrier strip at the hinge means from their side-by-side position to a second position in which said side surfaces are juxtaposed whereby the leads are oriented in the desired direction, and cooperable latching means on said first and second insulator bodies to latch the insulator bodies in their second position when moved thereto, said cooperable latching means comprising an elastic tab on one of said bodies and with the tab having an aperture therethrough of a given transverse dimension when in its free state and an elastic projection on the other of said insulator bodies and with the projection having a radially outwardly extending portion of a transverse dimension greater than the given transverse dimension of the aperture in the tab when in its free state position, said projection being latchable to the tab by positioning the projection in the aperture of the tab and forcing the tab over the enlarged portion of the projection, said enlarged portion of the projection causing said tab to be radially stretched to enlarge the transverse dimension of the aperture as the tab engages the enlarged portion of the projection until the tab clears the enlarged portion of the projection whereby the tab, due to its self-biasing forces, shrinks to decrease its diameter towards its normal free state position and thereby latch the tab beneath the enlarged portion of the projection.
 3. An electrical connection of electrical leads comprising: an elongated, planar bendable metal carrier strip; a plurality of crimping flanges integrally connected via webs to one side of the carrier strip at spaced longitudinal locations therealong; each of said crimping flanges being crimped to one end of an electrical lead whereby said electrical leads are electrically connected to each other via said carrier strip; said webs being bent so that the plane of the carrier strip extends normal to the axes of said one ends of said leads; insulator means made from a resilient insulating material comprising a first insulator body molded around the end of at least one lead and adjacent carrier strip portion and a second insulator body molded around the one Ends of the other remaining leads and adjacent carrier strip portion and a hinge means molded about an intermediate portion of the carrier strip and integral with the first and second insulator bodies, said first and second insulator bodies being generally rectangular in shape and separated by said hinge means and lying side-by-side in the same plane when molded, said first and second insulator bodies having generally planar side surfaces adjacent said hinge means, said first and second insulator bodies being relatively movable by bending the hinge means and the intermediate portion of the carrier strip at the hinge means from their side-by-side position to a second position in which said side surfaces are back-to-back whereby the leads are oriented in the desired direction, and cooperable latching means on said first and second insulator bodies to latch the insulator bodies in their second position when moved thereto, said cooperable latching means comprising a resilient tab on one of said bodies and with the tab having an aperture therethrough of a given diameter when in its free state and a resilient projection on the other of said insulator bodies and with the projection having a radially outwardly extending intermediate portion of a diameter greater than the diameter of the aperture in the tab when in its free state position, said projection being latchable to the tab by positioning the projection in the aperture of the tab and forcing the tab over the enlarged intermediate portion of the projection, said intermediate portion of the projection causing said tab to be radially stretched to enlarge the diameter of the aperture as the tab engages the enlarged intermediate portion of the projection until the tab clears the enlarged portion of the projection whereby the tab, due to its self-biasing forces, radially shrinks to decrease its diameter towards its normal free state position and thereby latch the tab beneath the enlarged portion of the projection.
 4. A method of connecting electrical leads together and orienting the leads in desired directions comprising: providing an elongated carrier strip integrally connected to a plurality of crimping flanges via webs at spaced longitudinal locations along one side edge thereof, simultaneously crimping each of said crimping flanges to one end of an electrical lead and bending the webs so that the carrier strip lies in a plane substantially normal to the axes of the one end of said leads, molding a resilient insulator means around the one end of the leads and crimping flanges of the carrier strip to completely imbed the same within the insulator means and with the molded insulator means comprising a first insulator body surrounding the one end of at least one electrical lead and adjacent carrier strip portion, a second insulator body adjacent to but spaced from the first insulator body and surrounding the one ends of the remaining leads and adjacent carrier strip portion, a hinge means integral with the first and second insulator bodies and surrounding an intermediate carrier strip portion, an integral latch member on one of the insulator bodies and an integral catch member on the other of the insulator bodies, relatively moving the first and second insulator bodies by bending the intermediate carrier strip portion and hinge means until adjacent end surfaces on the first and second insulator bodies are located back-to-back, twisting the intermediate carrier portion and hinge means by relatively moving the insulator bodies toward and from their common plane when moved back-to-back to position and to align the catch and latch members and then twisting the insulator bodies about the intermediate portion of the carrier strip and hinge means in the opposite direction to cause the latch member to be latched to the catch member whereby the insulator bodies are latched in their back-to-back position and the leads are oriented in their desired direction. 